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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn, the Associated Press projects.
Paxton was out to an early lead, and the Associated Press called the race within an hour of polling places closing.
Here’s a look at how people across the Lone Star State voted.
Following an extensive career in the Texas Legislature, Paxton was elected as Texas Attorney General in 2014 before announcing his U.S. Senate bid in April 2025. Cornyn, the incumbent, was first elected to the seat in 2002.
Cheers rang through the ballroom at Paxton’s election night party when the race was called, and he took the stage to supporters chanting his name. He quickly gave credit to Trump.
“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. ”President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”
When Paxton announced his run for U.S. Senate, Paxton told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that it was “time for a change in Texas.”
Paxton will face Democratic nominee James Talarico, an Austin-area state representative and former San Antonio teacher who won his primary bid against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Talarico launched his campaign last September. He previously told TheTXLoop that his experience as a public school teacher on San Antonio’s West Side shaped his views for his campaign.
According to his campaign website, Talarico is pushing for economic equality, specifically the gap between billionaires and Americans struggling to make ends meet.
U.S. senators are elected for six-year terms.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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